physical fitness

2009-01-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

PHYSICAL FITNESS

May is Physical Fitness and Sports Month, a perfect time to keep that promise to start a regular exercise program. Yet, it seems many Americans never quite take that first step. A progress report on Healthy People 2000 goals released in mid-April claims that about 24 percent of Americans never exercise. Illinoisans are even less likely to get exercise. Approximately half (44.4%) of the state's citizens lead sedentary lifestyles, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health's 1995 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Study. (Sedentary, as defined by BRFSS, means that these individuals engage in no physical activity.)

What are the benefits of a regular exercise program?

Breaking out of a sedentary lifestyle and making exercise a regular part of your life can have impressive benefits. It can increase the amount of blood your heart can pump, lower your heart rate when you are at rest, improve your cholesterol level, lower your blood pressure and reduce body fat. Regular exercise also can help you mentally by making it easier to manage stress, leaving you more energetic, making daily chores easier to accomplish, helping you sleep better and improving your self-image. The best part about these benefits is that they are accessible, to some degree, to almost any individual who builds exercise into his or her daily routine.

Regular exercise does not have to entail expensive fitness club dues or high-priced equipment to fill your spare bedroom. It can be as simple as walking. One expense you should afford yourself, however, is the correct shoe for your activity. Walking shoes should not be used for running; running shoes should not be used to play basketball or tennis.

How do I get started?

Before starting an exercise program, you should heed some basic principles:

Be sure to check with your physician. Most people who wish to start a gradual, sensible exercise program do not need to see a doctor before they start. However, if you have a health problem like high blood pressure, if you have pains or pressure in the chest or shoulder area, if you tend to feel dizzy or faint, if you get very breathless after a mild workout, or if you are middle-aged or older and have not been active, check with your doctor first.
Choose an activity that you enjoy. If you do not like what you are doing, you probably will not stick with your program. And remember, light activities, if done daily, can help you become more fit. Physical activity can be fit into your daily routine in small but important ways: take a walk at lunch or after dinner, use the stairs instead of the elevator, get off the bus one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way to your destination, park farther away from the store or office, ride a bike, work in the yard or garden, or go dancing.
Build variety into your program. A program that includes several fitness activities--for example, weight training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, running on Mondays and Wednesdays, and swimming on Fridays and Sundays--will help maintain your interest and will help you exercise different muscle groups.
Train with regularity. Fitness is cumulative. Increased strength and flexibility result from regular physical activity. Sporadic exercise, especially if intense, can result in injury.
Soreness from an intense workout should not last more than 24 hours. If it does, you should re-examine how you are performing the activity and the intensity of your workout. Listen to your body; it will tell you if you are overdoing it.
More is not necessarily better. Your body needs time to rest between workouts. Try to alternate between hard and easy workouts.

What phases make up a good workout?

Regular exercise has four phases:

Warming up elevates your pulse slowly. Start at a fairly light pace and gradually increase it until you begin to perspire--about five to 10 minutes. A good warm-up will help prevent muscle strains and raise the internal body temperature, which makes muscles more flexible.
Stretching improves the flexibility of your joints, making movement easier and injuries less likely. Stretches should be done slowly and without bouncing. Move until you can feel the muscle stretch but not to where you feel any pain. Hold the position for several seconds (10-20) and repeat three to five times. Stretch before and after you exercise.
The aerobic phase is the most important part of your daily exercise routine because this is when you temporarily elevate your resting heart rate. This phase involves three factors. The frequency of your exercise program is an important factor. In order to improve your fitness level, you should try to exercise at least three times per week. The length of time you exercise is important. The body needs approximately 20 minutes to reach its fat-burning stage. (Individuals who are extremely out of shape and those who have cardiac or respiratory problems are exceptions to this rule and should start with shorter workouts. These people, especially those who are out of shape, may be able to gradually increase the length of their workouts.) Theintensity of your workout is crucial and should be determined by your level of fitness. Your workout should increase the number of times your heart beats to about 60 percent to 80 percent of its maximum rate.

There are a number of ways to calculate this target heart rate. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends this formula: Subtract your age from 220 to determine your maximum heart rate. Multiply this number by 0.6 and 0.8 to arrive at your target heart rate zone. For example, a 40-year-old's target zone would be 108 to 144 beats per minute. However, if you have respiratory or cardiovascular problems, your range may be lower; check with your physician first.

During cool down, you should reduce your pace slowly so that your heart rate and blood pressure decrease slowly. This is the final phase of your workout.

Calories Burned During Physical Activities

Calories Burned Per Hour*

Activity	Men**	Women**

Light Activity	300	240
Cleaning house
Playing baseball
Playing golf


Moderate Activity	460	370
Walking briskly (3.5 mph)
Gardening
Cycling (5.5 mph)
Dancing
Playing basketball


Strenuous Activity	730	580
Jogging (9 min./mile)
Playing football
Swimming


Very Strenuous Activity	920	740
Running (7 min./mile)
Racquetball Skiing

* May vary depending on a variety of factors, including environmental conditions.

** Healthy man, 175 pounds; healthy woman, 140 pounds.

Source. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Third Edition, 1990 (adapted from McArdle, et al., "Exercise Physiology," 1986).

2009-01-14T06:53:00.002-08:00

What Is Physical Fitness?

By CyberParent Staff

Fitness: The definition of physical fitness might vary by individual but most experts agree that there are five basic components of physical fitness which involve your heart, lungs, strength, endurance, and agility or flexibility.

The role of fitness in health:

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1. Cardiorespiratory or Aerobic Endurance

The ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time. It reflects how well your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise. Also called aerobic fitness.

2. Muscular Endurance

The ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many times. This could be the capability required to hold a two-pound weight above your head for five minutes or the effort required to lift that weight 20 consecutive times.

3. Muscular Strength

The ability to exert maximum force, such as lifting the heaviest weight you can budge, one time. It is possible to have muscular strength in one area, say your arms, while lacking strength in another area such as your legs.

4. Flexibility

The ability to move a joint through its full range of motion; the elasticity of the muscle. This is how limber or supple you are.

5. Body Composition

The proportion of fat in your body compared to y

2009-01-14T06:53:00.001-08:00

Physical fitness is used in two close meanings: general fitness (a state of healthspecific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). and well-being) and

Physical fitness is the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles to function at optimum efficiency. In previous years, fitness was defined as the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue. Automation increased leisure time, and changes in lifestyles following the industrial revolution meant this criterion was no longer sufficient. Optimum efficiency is the key. Physical fitness is now defined as the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations. Fitness can also be divided into five categories: aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

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[edit] General fitness

Many sources also cite mental and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness. This is often presented in textbooks as a triangle made up of three sub-sections, which represent physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Hence, one may be physically fit but may still suffer from a mental illness or have emotional problems. The "ideal triangle" is balanced in all areas. Physical fitness can also prevent or treat many chronic health conditions brought on by unhealthy lifestyle or aging, among other implications. Working out can also help people sleep better. To stay healthy it's important to participate in physical activity.

[edit] Specific fitness

Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person's ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency, for example, sports or military service. Specific training prepares athletes to perform well in their sports.

Examples are:

400m sprint - in a sprint the athlete must be trained to work anaerobically throughout the race.
Marathon - in this case the athlete must be trained to work aerobically and their endurance must be built-up to a maximum.

Fire fighters and police officers must undergo regular Fitness testing to determine if they are capable of the physically demanding tasks required for the job before they are employed.

physical fitness

Contents

[edit] General fitness

[edit] Specific fitness

[edit] See also